Worth the Wait (Crimson Romance)

by Synithia Williams

  Worth the Wait

  Synithia Williams

  Avon, Massachusetts

  This edition published by

  Crimson Romance

  an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.

  10151 Carver Road, Suite 200

  Blue Ash, Ohio 45242

  www.crimsonromance.com

  Copyright © 2012 by Synithia Williams

  ISBN 10: 1-4405-6183-4

  ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6183-2

  eISBN 10: 1-4405-6184-2

  eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6184-9

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

  Cover © iStockPhoto.com/anouchka, 123rf.com

  Contents

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to T.J. Proofs for helping me find my writing flow over virtual mugs of coffee. Big thanks to my trainer, Kelley Blashka for taking the time to provide insight in the life of a personal trainer. Finally, once again, thanks to my wonderful husband for supporting me and my writing career.

  CHAPTER 1

  “Look, Tasha. It’s been fun going out with you, but unless we have sex tonight this needs to end right now.”

  Tasha Smith’s jaw dropped. She stepped back from her date, clenching her keys in her hand. She was at the end of what was previously a nice dinner and movie date with Charles Worthington, a software developer her sister had introduced to her weeks before. It’d been so nice that she had planned to invite him in for coffee, and only coffee, but apparently he wanted more.

  She raised an eyebrow as her eyes narrowed in on him. “Excuse me?”

  He tugged at the corner of his shirt and shifted slightly, his caramel skin and hazel eyes quickly losing their appeal. He stopped fidgeting and stood straighter, his stance becoming defensive, and she glared back.

  “Look, it’s commendable that you’re a virgin, but I’m a man with needs. If you can’t satisfy those needs, then it’s best we move on.”

  She looked away from Charles’s face to the silent street before her home. There were a few lights on in the other single family houses. Ten minutes earlier the cool night air and faint scent from the roses along her porch would have been romantic. But now they set the scene for another disappointing date. She’d hoped — in vain — that Charles would be different.

  Her internal warning bells had gone off about Charles when he’d hinted around about spending the night after a heated kiss on their third date and then didn’t bother to hide his disappointment when she informed him of her virginal status. Of course he’d gone on to say it wasn’t a big deal, and previous experience should have reminded her that she’d heard it all before. His good job, good looks, and winning personality had muffled those bells. But once again, dating a woman who was saving herself for marriage had put too much commitment pressure on a member of the male species. She knew only one way to deal with Charles.

  She relaxed her stance and smiled at him. “You’re right. You do have needs and I shouldn’t have ignored them.”

  His face brightened. “I’m glad you said that. I’m willing to wait a little bit longer. I mean, you are fine as hell.” His gaze swept over her body. “If you want to hook a brother up with a blow job, that’s cool.”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes and leaned closer. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  He took a step closer. “Hell yeah.”

  She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders. “Then you know what you can do? You can go suck your own damn dick,” she snapped as she shoved him to the ground ass first. “When I do give it up you’ll be the last person to get it.”

  She turned and stormed into her house.

  Once inside, she wanted to scream. The routine was beyond annoying. Every guy she dated was either overly fascinated to find a grown woman who was still a virgin, or ran away as if she carried the plague.

  She was tired of the novelty of it. It had been easier to save herself when she was younger with hopes of meeting prince charming. But at twenty-nine, she didn’t feel the same satisfaction from being different from the girls in high school and college who’d slept with any guy who looked their way. As her thirtieth birthday approached, with no marriage prospects in sight, being a virgin wasn’t much fun, it was a burden.

  She picked up her phone and called the person who was partly responsible for this latest disappointment: her sister. Angie was happily married with two little girls and made it her life’s mission to ensure everyone was as happy as she. She grabbed a discarded hair band from her coffee table and swept her shoulder-length natural curls into a ponytail while waiting. At least she hadn’t wasted time flat ironing her hair for this disappointment.

  Angie picked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”

  Her sister’s hoarse voice gave Tasha only a passing second of guilt for waking her. Angie deserved to know she had set her sister up with an idiot.

  “Never hook me up again, Angie,” she said, kicking off her heeled sandals and rubbing her feet.

  “Tasha? What are you talking about?” Angie’s voice became more alert.

  “I just pushed Charles off my front porch.”

  “What? Why would you do that?”

  “According to him, if we’re not having sex we don’t need to see each other.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Tasha fell back onto her sofa and sighed. “It’s true. I’m so sick of this. It’s the same thing with every guy I date.”

  “It’s not every guy. You just have to find the right one.”

  Tasha leaned her head back on the couch and stared at her ceiling. “When am I going to find the right one, Angie? Men our age aren’t looking for a virgin wife anymore.”

  “You’re being silly. Men appreciate virgins. You just haven’t found the one who appreciates you waiting on him.”

  Tasha rolled her eyes. Her sister was the last person who would understand. They’d both taken to heart the teachings of their father, a Baptist minister, and abstained from sex. But Angie found her husband in college and married him before the ink was dry on her degree. She’d never come close to going through the hell of post-college dating.

  “Angie, you’re living in a fairy tale. Guys aren’t trying to wait around. The minute I tell them I’m saving myself for marriage, they run off as if I’d said I was a homicidal maniac.”

  She heard Angie chuckle. “You’re a foo
l.”

  “No, I’m not, I’m serious. I’m tired of the whole thing.”

  “Dating?”

  “No, being a virgin. I just want to get rid of it. Maybe then I can move forward with a guy without him feeling as if dating me means I expect us to get married.”

  “You can’t be serious. Losing your virginity is a sacred, beautiful — ”

  “Can it, Angie, Mom and Dad aren’t on the phone. Maybe it was beautiful and sacred in nineteen sixty, but today it’s a liability. I need to get rid of it.”

  “You talk about it as if it were an old purse.”

  Tasha frowned. “I feel as if it is an old purse. One that’s full of baggage and weighing me down.”

  “You’re so dramatic.” Tasha could imagine her sister rolling her eyes.

  “Well, dramatic or not, I want to lose it before my birthday.”

  “Tasha, your birthday is next weekend. You’ve broken up with Charles, for a good reason, but now you’re single. How are you going to lose your virginity?”

  “I can find someone to take it.”

  Angie laughed. “Are you crazy? You can’t just get some random guy to sleep with you. Okay, let me rephrase that. You don’t need to find some random guy to sleep with you.”

  Tasha laughed. “It won’t be random. I’ll find someone I know.”

  When Angie spoke again all humor was out of her voice. “Tasha, I’m serious. Don’t even consider doing that. It’s stupid and you’re upset about Charles. You want your first time to be special. It should be with the man you marry.”

  Tasha thought about her last few dates. All were smart, successful, and generally nice guys — Charles excluded. But they hadn’t been ready for the commitment that came with dating a woman who was saving herself for marriage.

  “Angie, I know you’re trying to help, but I think I’m serious. I can’t have this hanging over me anymore. It’s got to go.”

  There was a pause before Angie continued. “Look, it’s getting late and you’re upset. Will you promise not to do anything rash and come see me tomorrow? We can talk about it then.” The rumbling of her brother-in-law’s voice echoed in the background. It was time to end the call before he chimed in.

  “I can’t come by tomorrow. The center is having its Senior Olympics. I have to be there all day.”

  As the program coordinator for the Central Midlands Recreation Commission she’d be spending the day making sure the annual sporting event went off without a hitch.

  “Can you come by afterwards?”

  “I’ll see how I feel. It’ll be a long day. Look, Angie, I’m sorry for waking you guys up. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, but I’m serious. Don’t do anything you’ll regret later. Too many of our friends regret their first time. Don’t make any quick decisions.”

  “I hear you, Angie. Bye,” she said in a rush.

  She tossed the phone on the couch beside her. She understood Angie’s concerns. They both had witnessed friends sleep with idiots in high school and college, mainly because they fancied themselves in love, or they thought the guy they slept with was interested in a long-term relationship. But if she took matters into her own hands and picked a guy with no foolish expectations, she wouldn’t fall into the same trap. She only wanted someone who would rid her of the nuisance, and that only required one sexual encounter.

  If she did this, it would have to be someone who was good in bed. She didn’t want her first time to be with someone who didn’t know how to make it enjoyable for her — at least to some extent. It would also have to be someone she had no intention of falling in love with because emotions had no place in the situation. It would just be a simple transaction. She frowned. That made it sound horrible. It would just be casual, one-time-only sex. That’s all.

  Feeling better with that clarification, she returned to her list of characteristics. He would have to be discreet. She didn’t want everyone to know she was looking for someone to take her virginity. She wasn’t ashamed of being a virgin, but she didn’t want to flaunt it either. He would also have to understand this was a one-time deal. She wasn’t trying to become some guy’s booty call. A guy who expected a steady series of hook ups was out of the question.

  Tasha sighed and mentally went through the list of men she knew. Where would she find a discreet, non-committal guy who was good in bed and she respected enough to give her virginity to? Who was someone with whom she could never, ever fall in love?

  She sat up suddenly. “Yes. He would be perfect!”

  CHAPTER 2

  Jared Patterson stepped out of his shower with a smile. He was usually antsy when he missed a morning workout, but today’s miss was for a good reason. He still couldn’t believe he’d let Tasha talk him in to serving as a celebrity judge for the Central Midlands Recreation Commission’s Senior Olympics. It would be just another day of signing autographs and dishing out fitness advice. He’d thought moving from Los Angeles to Columbia, South Carolina three years ago would give him a reprieve from the attention. Instead, people were just as anxious to work out with the guy from the infomercial who’d helped so many stars lose weight.

  Not that he minded the attention. He thought about the other reason he was missing his workout — the woman lying in his bed at that very moment — and his smiled widened. His recognition kept new chicks in his bed. He grabbed a towel from the chrome rack in his bathroom and dried off. After wiping the condensation from the mirror, he grabbed his toothbrush and stepped back to check out his profile, flexing his biceps and chest. He nodded with satisfaction.

  Leaning in toward the mirror, his smile faded when he saw the dark purple hickey on his neck. “What the hell?”

  He leaned in closer and swore under his breath. That damn Monica! It wasn’t a secret he slept around, but he also didn’t flaunt it. That hickey meant she would be crossed off his list of future hook ups. He didn’t date women who tried to mark their territory.

  He brushed his teeth quickly and walked into his bedroom where a shapely brown ass awaited him, seemingly floating in mid-air. His raised bed was the focus of the room, and the sight of Monica, head down over the side of the bed, enticed him instantly. Maybe she could go on the reserve list.

  He walked over to the bed and frowned. She was rummaging through his nightstand. “Are you looking for something?”

  Monica froze before sliding back slowly. He had a generous view of the goodies between her legs before she turned to face him. She held up a condom. “Let’s get one more in before you leave.”

  Jared walked to the other side of the bed and pushed the nightstand drawer closed. He mentally scratched her from his reserve list. Going through his things was an automatic dismissal.

  Slipping the condom from her fingers, Jared said, “I don’t think so. It was fun, Monica, but I’ve got to go. The housekeeping staff will be here in twenty minutes. Make sure you’re gone before they arrive. I will ask them if you were here.”

  Monica pouted prettily. “You’re not kicking me out. I thought I’d stay around until you get back.” She flipped her legs toward him and spread her knees. “It was fun.”

  Jared ignored her. He didn’t have time for women who didn’t know their boundaries. He stepped away and swore as a sharp pain pierced his foot. “What the hell?” He lifted his foot and pulled out the small safety pin stuck in his heel. Snatching it out, he glared at Monica.

  She blanched, guilt flashing on her face before she hid it behind a shrug and small smile. “Sorry, it must’ve come off my dress.”

  Something about the way she smiled nagged at him, but instead of arguing with her he threw the pin on the nightstand and turned away. “Just be gone, Monica.”

  He ignored her angry expression as he went into his closet and slipped on a Recreation Commission t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts before sliding his feet into a pair of sneakers. When he came out of the bedroom Monica was still sprawled across his bed.

  “You can’t really want me to lea
ve?” she said.

  Jared shook his head. He picked her clothes off the floor and tossed them to her. “Just get out.” He walked out of his bedroom without a second thought. He wasn’t concerned about her staying too long. Housekeeping would arrive in fifteen minutes instead of the twenty he told her.

  She would be his last quick pick up. The thrill of a new woman was easily washed away when she didn’t understand the rules of a one-night stand. To make it worse, she had his phone number — she’d insisted on having it in case she got lost when following him home the night before. A dumb excuse, but that’s what happens when he listened to the head between his legs instead of the one on his shoulders.

  He called the housekeeping service as he entered his garage and got into his silver convertible BMW 650 CI. “This is Jared Patterson. If there’s a woman in my house when your crew arrives, call the police.”

  The woman on the other end chuckled. “Yes, Mr. Patterson. We understand.”

  Jared ended the call and sped out of his garage and down his curving driveway. Twenty-five minutes later he swung his car into the side lot of the Central Midlands Rec Commission. The building used to be a school, but was converted into the offices for the Commission. It worked well, with classrooms used for adult and child programs, a gymnasium, and an outdoor running track where the Senior Olympics were taking place.

  He glanced at the clock on his dash. He was a few minutes early, which meant he’d have time to figure out where he was supposed to be. He checked his reflection in the visor mirror, scowled at the visible hickey, and got out of the car.

  He smiled and nodded at the group of people who’d stopped when they recognized his car before approaching a young man directing traffic in the parking area. He asked the guy where the judges were supposed to register and was directed to the stage set up on the old playground.

  People repeatedly stopped him along the way. He appreciated that people who purchased his fitness DVDs and followed his nutrition regimen saw results. Sometimes the best feedback he received came from impromptu testimonials when he was out and about. He answered questions and signed a few autographs, taking extra time to appreciate the ladies who happily flaunted new and improved figures.